The Tributes
by TheStarkidMockingjay
Summary: short chapters from POV of various tributes. please review!
1. Clove

Clove

When I wake up, I have less than a minute of peaceful oblivion before the feeling of dread from yesterday returns. "There is nothing that I can do about my situation", I tell myself. _Nothing I can do, nothing I can do._ I hate that sentence. It makes me feel helpless. I hate feeling helpless. I have to make a decision. But I have put it off for weeks and now it is the day of the reaping. I can volunteer, I want to volunteer, but there is one thing stopping me. My sister is pregnant. To volunteer would mean leaving her, and now she needs me more than anything else.

I run towards the cornucopia with a confidant smile on my face that feels very forced. But if I want to return to my sister I need to put on a good show. I didn't expect my name to be called for the reaping, but I'm a career. I have a dozen knives in my hand and I know how to throw them. I probably have many sponsors, so my chances are pretty high. But inside I am filled with hatred at the girl from district 12. She probably has more sponsors than all of the tributes combined. I see her running towards the woods. I could kill her from here. I throw my knife at her head and it lodges in her stupid backpack. If I hadn't killed that boy she would be dead now.

The arrow punctures my left arm. Luckily I throw with my right. I have never wanted to kill anyone so badly until now. She grabs the backpack and turns to shoot at me, but I'm quicker. My knife catches her in the forehead. Her arrow whizzes past my head as I slam into her, knocking her flat on the ground "where's your boyfriend, district twelve? Still hanging on?" I ask. "He's out there now. Hunting Cato." Then she screams, "Peeta!" I jam my fist into her windpipe and look back and forth quickly. Surely she couldn't be telling the truth? I look at her and grin with relief. "Liar, He's nearly dead. Cato knows where he cut him. You've probably got him strapped up in some tree while you try to keep his heart going. What's in the pretty little backpack? That medicine for lover boy? Too bad he'll never get it." I could never hate Peeta. I hope he dies from the wound, so I don't have to kill him. I select a knife from my jacket. "I promised Cato if he let me have you I'd give the audience a good show." She's struggling underneath me now. Words are coming out of my mouth now and I have no idea what I'm saying. I'm blinded by my hatred of her, that she can get so many sponsors because of other people. Next thing I register is someone picking me up and throwing me on the ground. It's Thresh, The one tribute that I am actually scared of. "What'd you do to that little girl? You kill her? You said her name, I heard you." did I say that? I don't remember. "No! No! It wasn't me! " You cut her up like you were going to cut up this girl here?" he brings a rock up and I lose it. _Cato_, "Cato! Cato! " I yell as he brings it down on my skull. A moan escapes my lips as I die. I see red and I can feel my skull shifting, but all I can think about is my sister. I let my hatred blind me and now she would be alone. I feel guilty and wish I could change it, but there is_ nothing I can do, nothing I can do._


	2. Foxface

Foxface

I think of my mother watching the screen, was she thinking that I might actually have a chance in this cruel tournament, or is she thinking that her only daughter will never return home? The carriage pulls past the president's mansion and I get a glimpse of myself on the screen. The dark blue and silver dress is really pretty and it brings out my flaming red hair, my stylist has done an amazing job. Maybe I actually have a chance in this competition.

The chilly wind whistles by the mouth of the cornucopia as I put the hood of my thin sweater up to cover my ears. I peek through the thin crack in the gold weaving and see the barren ground, still no sign of the backpacks. I don't want to get mixed up in the fight, but I wont be able to survive another night without _something_ to keep me warm. Even a thin blanket would be helpful. I shudder at the thought of last night, huddling underneath a pile of leaves, my fingers going purple and numb. I thought I was going to die, if not from the cold, than another tribute finding me from my teeth chattering. A mechanical sound brings me back to my senses. I run to the mouth of the cornucopia, I hear a click and I start running. I can't see anything except my objective, the green backpack with the 5 on it. I reach the table and bolt away, swinging my prize onto my back. When I get to the woods I keep running for another two minutes before I collapse on the ground, breathing heavily. I open the backpack to find a thick sweater. I smile and whisper a quick thank you to Claudius Templesmith for his wonderful feast.

"What if you show me what's edible around here and go get us some meat. Just don't go far, in case you need my help." Peeta says in a mimicking tone. I cannot believe that I have been following them for twenty minutes, listening to them argue, and they haven't heard me. Katniss Everdeen walks off and I wait for another five minutes while Peeta gathers some berries. When he moves towards the river, I take my chance. I take a bit of cheese and a handful of berries. I walk through the woods with no purpose for a while before I decide to settle down and eat. Having not eaten in days the feeble meal tasted twice as good. I lean against a tree and tell myself I have to move in two minutes. I close my eyes and the last thing I hear is a mockingjay singing a beautiful four-note tune.


	3. Rue

Rue

I grab the hanging light on the training center roof. I swing across the room using techniques that I use back in district 11. The gamemakers that aren't completely drunk are looking at me with impressed looks on their faces. The head gamemaker stares at me as I let drop to the ground. "You may leave now," he says. I bow my head and walk out. I allow myself a small smile at my performance.

I watch her from the tree. She is cooking a groosling; I wonder if she knows what it is. I can see the tracker jacker stings from here. Should I reveal myself? Maybe I will wait a bit longer, I think. I know that I'm just procrastinating, but I don't want her to panic and kill me. I shift my weight in the tree and a twig snaps. She smiles; can she see me? "You know they're not the only ones who can form alliances." She says. I peek around the trunk. "You want me for an ally?" I ask. "Why not? You saved me with those tracker jackers. You're smart enough to still be alive. And I can't seem to shake you anyway." Has she seen me following her? "You hungry? Come on then, I've had two kills today" I want to return her offer, but how? "I know how to fix your stings." I blurt out. "Can you?" she asks, "How?"

I sit in the tree, waiting. I sing the four-note tune and pause, when I hear it returned; I smile. Then the net hits me. I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping Katniss will hear me. I scream again, her name. "Katniss, Katniss." I hear her yelling. "Rue, Rue I'm coming!" I see her run into the clearing. "_Katniss"_ then I feel the spear enter my stomach. "Are there more?" "_No."_ "Are there more?" "_No."_ I say louder. She frees me from the net and I whisper, "_you blew up the food?"_ "Every last bit." "_You have to win" "_I'm going to. Going to win for the both of us now." I tighten my grip on her hand. "_Don't go."_ "Course not, staying right here." One thing I want before I die. "_Sing"_ she starts her song and I close my eyes. " Deep in the meadow, under the willow, a bed of grass, a soft green pillow. Lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes, and when again they open, the sun will rise. Here it's safe, here its warm, here the daisies guard you from every harm. Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true, here is the place where I love you" her voice is beautiful but I can no longer make out what she is saying. The last thing I hear is the mockingjay's repeating her tune. Her tears drip on my face and that's the last thing I feel.


End file.
